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Hernando Today

Hernando Mostly Unscathed Following Tornado Scare

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TONY HOLT

Published: January 21, 2008

SPRING HILL - SPRING HILL - There were sightings of a tornado Saturday near Weeki Wachee Springs, but the accompanying damage merely included a few damaged power lines and trees.

There were no injuries or medical calls during or after the storm surge, which engulfed the west end of Hernando County from 5:45 until approximately 6:15 p.m., meteorologists said.

"We were dispatched once for wires down in front of (Pasco-Hernando Community College) … but we never found any," said Assistant Chief Frank DeFrancesco, a Hernando County Fire Rescue spokesman. "Other than that, we didn't turn a wheel."

Spring Hill Fire Rescue responded to two calls of downed power lines along Swiss Road and Bardahl Avenue, dispatchers said.

In Brooksville, there were no emergency calls made in relation to the storm, but a shift commander came upon a damaged power line Saturday night while on patrol along Hammock Road, according to the Brooksville Fire Department.

The storm itself brought high winds and heavy showers across the region north of Tampa. Pasco County suffered the worst of it, particularly in the Hudson area.

More than 9,000 Pasco customers were without power during the night, said David Lambert, a spokesman with Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative Inc.

The storm system dragged along a cold front, which was felt by residents throughout the day Sunday. A wind chill advisory is in effect for this morning, according to National Weather Service forecaster Ryan Sharp.

Saturday's storm traveled north of Brooksville toward Sumter County, where there was at least one more tornado sighting.

As for Withlacoochee customers in Hernando County, up to 1,200 people were without power for a brief time during and after the thunderstorms, Lambert said.

A spokeswoman with Progress Energy said outages were reported up and down the Tampa region, but statistics were unavailable.

A tree along Firwood Avenue in East Linden Estates was knocked over Saturday due to the storm's heavy wind. It fell on top of a private fence, but that was the extent of the damage throughout the neighborhood, said Hernando County Emergency Management Director Tom Leto.

Leto canvassed the area early Sunday afternoon and was surprised and relieved by the absence of any real destruction in the county.

"By 7 p.m., all the (power) was back on," he said. "We had a pretty bad line of storms here. We got lucky."

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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